O75 Public Administration

Bosses fight CFMEU-MUA super union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 9-Mar-18

The full bench of the Fair Work Commission will be asked to overturn the decision to approve a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Australian Mines & Metals Association and Master Builders Australia will also seek a stay of the decision, which could give the Federal Government time to pass legislation to subject union mergers to a public interest test. Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy has urged the Opposition to support the bill.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Warning of economic ruin from Trump protectionism

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Original article by Primrose Riordan, Ben Packham, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 9-Mar-18

More than 100 Republican members of the US House of Representatives have urged President Donald Trump to abandon his plan to impose punitive tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Global sharemarkets rallied on 8 March after Trump signalled that the US would temporarily exempt Canada and Mexico from the tariff regime. Meanwhile, on the eve of signing the 11-nation Trans-Tasman Partnership, Australia’s Trade Minister Steve Ciobo has warned of the economic consequences of the growing trend toward protectionism, particularly when it is conflated with patriotism.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE, AMERICAN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL, DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

TPP-11 signing sends Trump a message

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 8-Mar-18

Trade Minister Steven Ciobo says members of the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership account for about 25 per cent of Australia’s exports, a figure that is likely to rise under the free trade deal. The Federal Government has revealed some details of the TPP; several participating nations will immediately scrap tariffs on products such as wine, seafood and steel, while some tariffs on beef will be phased out over a number of years. The TTP also includes provision for the free flow of data across borders. The TPP will be formally signed in Chile.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Late push to stop creation of super-union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Mar-18

The Australian Mines & Metals Association believes that the Federal Government can still legislate to block the merger of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. AMMA has suggested amending the Ensuring Integrity Bill so the Government’s public interest test for union mergers applies before a date for amalgamation has been set. In the bill’s present form, the public interest test applies before a merger date has been set, but the Fair Work Commission has already set this for 27 March. The bill has yet to be put before the Senate.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY

Labor a triple threat to jobs and wages: PM

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: W3 : 8-Mar-18

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told a business summit that unemployment would rise if Opposition Leader Bill Shorten implemented his proposed minimum wage reforms. He warned that regulating increases in the minimum wage would not be sustainable unless it was accompanied by growth in the economy. Turnbull also said that Shorten’s stance on Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine has resulted in a "genuine" sovereign risk that could affect other projects, with a resulting impact on jobs and investment in Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

Jobs surge but economy still stuck in neutral

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 4 : 8-Mar-18

Australia’s latest national accounts data shows that the economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the December 2017 quarter, and 2.4 per cent year-on-year. However, consumer spending grew by one per cent during the quarter, after revised growth of 0.5 per cent in the September quarter. Andrew Hanlan of Westpac warns that the strong growth in consumer spending may not last, noting the low growth in wages and the high level of consumer debt. The data shows that there was zero growth in the average wage during the December quarter, with annual wages growth of 1.6 per cent.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Cut tax, funds will flow: BHP

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 7-Mar-18

BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie argues that Australia cannot afford to not reduce its company tax rate. He says BHP would commence some proposed resources projects in Australia within months of federal parliament passing an across-the-board company tax cut, adding that at least some of these projects are dependent on tax reform. Meanwhile, economic modelling by KPMG suggests that Australia’s GDP will be reduced by around $A5bn if the nation does not respond to the Trump administration’s tax cuts with similar reforms. About 25,000 jobs would also be at risk, according to KPMG.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Turnbull, BHP warn Trump on the dangers of a trade war

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: W1 & W2 : 7-Mar-18

The signing of the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal on 7 March has coincided with President Donald Trump’s push to increase US tariffs on imported steel and aluminium. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will use the keynote address at a business summit in Sydney to emphasis the importance of free trade and open markets, and the negative effects of a trade war. BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie has also expressed concern about Trump’s protectionist stance, although he is confident that free trade will prevail.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES), DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES), INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF COMMERCE

Employers lash Coalition on union merger

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Mar-18

The merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia is slated to take effect on 27 March, after it was approved by the Fair Work Commission. The Australian Mines & Metals Association has urged the Federal Government to push for the Senate to block the merger prior to this date, although Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy argues that the Ensuring Integrity Bill is not retrospective so it would have no impact on the merger. The merged union will boast 144,000 members and $A310m worth of assets.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Canberra takes $8bn bath on Timor deal

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Original article by Cameron Stewart
The Australian – Page: 2 : 7-Mar-18

Australia and East Timor will sign a treaty on the maritime boundary between the two nations in New York on March 7. The treaty is likely to change the revenue-sharing arrangement for oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea from the current equal split to one that favours East Timor. This would reduce Australia’s revenue share from around $A20bn to $A12bn over the next 35 years. East Timor’s revenue share may increase further if LNG is processed at existing facilities in Darwin rather than in East Timor.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CONOCOPHILLIPS, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, OSAKA GAS COMPANY, PERMANENT COURT OF ARBITRATION